Valuing the economic impact of D. suzukii on soft fruit industry in Trentino (Italy)

Abstract: This paper aims to evaluate the pest’s economic impact on soft fruit industry in Trentino, North East of Italy, one of the most relevant production areas in Europe. The evaluation takes into account both the growers’ potential revenue losses and the pest’s management costs in two scenarios: before and after the implementation of an integrated control strategy for D. suzukii. In summary, before the adoption of an integrated management strategy, the revenue losses could amount to about 13% of industry’s output. The adopted integrated strategy seems effective in mitigating this impact to about 7%.